If I LOST Every Plugin... I’d Get These 20 Again

Product/Plugins Reviewed (Top Picks List)

This video isn’t reviewing one single product—it’s a “if I lost all my plugins, I’d buy these 20 again” list. The creator emphasizes:

• Workflow speed
• Visual clarity
• “One plugin that does a job well” (avoiding lots of overlapping tools)

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Key Plugins and What the Reviewer Says

1. Arturia Pigments (Synth) – #1

   • Main features: analog/wave/sampler/granular/harmonic synthesis; lots of modulation tools; drag-and-drop workflow; visual modulation; many presets.
   • Pros: constantly improved via free updates; highly visual/easy to learn quickly; easy presets when you’re not designing from scratch.
   • Cons (implied): described as comprehensive—later reinforced by the idea that “fewer options” can help creativity, suggesting it may be overkill depending on mood/workflow.

2. Valhalla Vintage Verb (Reverb)

   • Main features: “vintage verb” sound and fast workflow.
   • Pros: sounds great to him; fast; he can get what he needs quickly; doesn’t feel the need for multiple reverbs.
   • Cons (implied): acknowledges that more complex/more expensive reverbs exist, but he doesn’t care.

3. Native Instruments Noire (Piano) – #3

   • Main features: versatile piano sound for “bright,” “cinematic,” or “lo-fi” vibes; tweakable with “incredible options.”
   • Pros: feels right instantly; tweak enough for inspired results.
   • Comparison: mentions Keyscape if you want an entire piano collection—variety matters more than “every instrument sounds perfect.”

4. Trackspacer (Vocal/Music Separation)

   • Main features: dynamic, targeted EQ approach that creates frequency space for vocals vs music (sidechain-like behavior).
   • Pros: saves a lot of time; reduces unnecessary frequency cutting; “simple, effective,” and he can’t imagine working without it.
   • Use case: when vocals conflict with music, instead of manual EQ carving, Trackspacer dynamically makes room.

5. SubLab (808 / Sub Bass)

   • Main features: geared toward hip-hop/trap/pop sub needs; tune an 808 and make it fit without heavy processing chains.
   • Pros: one-job-well plugin; opens it with a clear purpose.
   • Comparison: later references another bass plugin that’s “the complete opposite,” though it isn’t named in this segment.

6. Waves Clarity (Noise/Room Cleanup for Vocals)

   • Main features: removes background “junk” like room noise/air-conditioning artifacts.
   • Pros: extremely practical; used often; even asked at NAMM how he removes crowd noise.
   • Cons (implied): not inspiring—used when you “need it.”

7. Universal Audio Minimoog (Classic Moog Tone)

   • Main features: classic Minimoog sound; quick knob-turning.
   • Pros: fewer options can improve creativity; great for bass/leads “fat Moog sounds.”
   • Comparison/credibility: described as the first plugin licensed by Moog itself.

8. Soundtoys EchoBoy Junior (Delay + Saturation)

   • Main features: fast delay adjustments; includes saturation/tape-style flavor.
   • Pros: quick/simple delay workflow; can add “cheap tape effect” saturation.
   • Hint: another Soundtoys “surprise” appears later.

9. XLN Audio XO (Drum Sampler + Pattern Tool)

   • Main features: analyzes large drum sample collections and visually organizes them by sound; builds drum patterns; exports MIDI; includes sample packs.
   • Pros: saves searching time; visually find sounds; fun workflow; “truly worth the money.”

10. Waves Renaissance Vox (Vocal Compressor/Gate)

    • Main features: minimal controls—threshold + optional gate.
    • Pros: fast and simple; he uses it even though he owns more sophisticated compressors.

11. “Don’t Waste Slots” Stance (DAW EQ/Comp First)

    • Argument: if starting over, he wouldn’t buy separate compressor/EQ immediately because Ableton/Logic built-ins are already good.
    • Specific example: wouldn’t buy FabFilter Pro-Q merely to replace DAW EQ if he only had ~20 plugin slots.
    • Preference: invest in plugins you can’t easily “make yourself.”

12. Spectrasonics Omnisphere (Instrument)

    • Main features: massive preset library; broad sound palette.
    • Pros: very likely you’ll like presets; strong long-term discovery value.
    • Cons (implied): expensive, but he insists it’s worth it if you know what you’re getting.

13. RC-20 Retro Color (Lo-fi Texture/Noise)

    • Main features: cassette/vinyl noise, crackle, lo-fi coloration.
    • Pros: solves a specific need (clean-to-lo-fi); most DAWs don’t include this “out of the box.”

14. Modo Bass (Bass Performance / Playing)

    • Main features: generates convincing bass parts (framed from a bass player perspective).
    • Pros: easy to get good sound; even though he doesn’t play bass, it still produces realistic bass playing/performance styles.

15. Gulfoss (Dynamic Mix Balance / Harshness Fixing)

    • Main features: automatically adjusts frequency balance dynamically to tame harshness.
    • Pros: almost every mix; helps reduce harshness and improve balance with minimal tweaking.

16. Arturia Analog Lab / Analog Lab Play (Sound Finder)

    • Main features: fast browsing across synths, pianos, organs, basses, pads, vintage sounds; Play is a free version for trying.
    • Pros: great for quickly finding usable sounds.

17. Auto-Tune (Pitch Correction)

    • Main features: pitch correction.
    • Pros: “just does its job”; used for years; even though some DAWs have built-in options, he prefers what he already knows.

18. Native Instruments Playbox (Instant Inspiration Tool)

    • Main features: combines chords, samples, and effects; generates song ideas; doesn’t require music theory because it “plays the chords for you.”
    • Pros: first thing he opens on blank projects; helps create full songs through combinations.

19. DistroKid (Music Distribution)

    • Main features: distributes to Spotify/Apple Music/YouTube Music and more; collects profits; includes audience-growth tools; easy/fast setup.
    • Pros: straightforward release workflow.
    • Offer mentioned: 7% discount on the first year via the link below (as referenced in the video).
    • Comparison: not deeply compared to alternatives—positioned as an easy solution.

20. iZotope Ozone (Mastering) + Master Assistant

    • Main features: EQ, dynamic processing, stereo bass, limiter in one suite.
    • Pros: Master Assistant gets a lot done quickly; he uses it most often.
    • Verdict within video: if starting from scratch, Ozone would be his go-to mastering plugin.

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Additional “Bonus Mentions” Beyond the Main #20

• Soundtoys full effects collection (best single effects collection pick) Includes EchoBoy, Decapitator, Little Alter Boy, Crystallizer, Filter Freak, etc.

• Native Instruments Complete Control Browses/listens to sounds across NI instrument collections; downloadable for free (via NI site).

• UJAM Beatmaker series Fast beat creation without programming drums.

• Sonnible (Intelligent Mixing Tools) Positioned as a second-tier purchase after the main 20.

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Pros & Cons Themes (As Expressed in the Video)

Big Pros

• Speed
• Ease of use
• Visual workflows
• Reliable sound quality
• “Do-one-job-well” tools

Big Cons / Limitations

• Don’t waste plugin slots on replacing DAW built-in EQ/compression.
• “More options” can sometimes cause searching instead of creating.

Cost Notes

• Omnisphere and “bigger reverbs” are expensive, though the reviewer still endorses some as worth it.

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Comparisons Explicitly Made

• Pigments vs the “fewer options” philosophy: not a direct comparison, but later he endorses Minimoog as a “less options” tool that supports creativity.
• Noire piano vs Keyscape: Noir for immediate right-feel; Keyscape for variety (not necessarily perfect every time across instruments).
• Reverb: Valhalla Vintage Verb vs “bigger/more complex/more expensive” reverbs—he prefers Valhalla anyway.
• Drum sound selection workflow: XO vs manual drum-folder searching.
• DAW built-ins vs extra plugins: he prefers using Ableton/Logic compressor/EQ first (Pro-Q specifically mentioned as not worth it if slots are limited).

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Unique User Experience Notes

• He describes starting from scratch on a new MacBook, installing only what he actually uses.
• He encourages learning DAW basics and standard tools first, then buying plugins to improve workflow.
• He repeatedly stresses instant usability: open/understand quickly, fast decisions, and quick setup.

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Number Scores / Ratings

• No numeric performance ratings for the plugins.
• A 7% discount on DistroKid’s first year is mentioned.

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Concise Verdict / Recommendation

If you’re rebuilding a plugin collection from zero, the reviewer recommends prioritizing workflow-efficient, known-and-loved staples, such as:

• Pigments
• Valhalla Vintage Verb
• Noire / Omnisphere
• Trackspacer
• SubLab
• Ozone for mastering

He also argues to avoid redundant third-party EQ/compression at first, since your DAW already covers it well.

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Speakers

• Only one main speaker (the creator) is present; no other distinct speakers are identified in the subtitles.